There is arguably nothing that smells and tastes better than warm bread fresh out of the oven. In most cultures, including in the days of Jesus, bread was a staple in every diet and the breaking of bread the center of every home.
In the Old Testament, during the time of the Exodus, God Himself served as the Baker. Each day He provided manna bread to sustain His people as they journeyed through the wilderness on their way home to the Promised Land.
During the annual celebration of Passover, which commemorated the Exodus and its manna, Jesus said in John 6:35, ““I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
In John’s Gospel, Jesus gives seven “I Am” statements about Himself. This is the first and reveals three important truths about Jesus Christ.
One, Jesus is the greater manna. Just as God sent bread down from heaven, so God the Father sent Jesus down from heaven as the “bread of life”.
Two, just as bread sustains our physical earthly live, Jesus sustains our spiritual eternal life.
Three, just as bread is of no benefit unless you partake of it by eating, so Jesus is of no benefit unless you partake of Him by believing.
Perhaps it’s not a bad idea for Christians to remind themselves each time they take a bite of bread that their soul needs Jesus more desperately than their body needs food.